Walk This Way: Pensacola, Florida
(This is another installment in this week’s “Walk This Way” series on walkable neighborhoods in the U.S.)
Pensacola’s a unique town, as far as both Florida and walkable communities are concerned. Tucked into the northwest corner of Florida, the City of Five Flags is so close to Alabama, it’s often treated not as if it’s part of the Sunshine State but L.A. (as in, “Lower Alabama”).
While it sometimes seems to be the Rodney Dangerfield of Florida towns, Pensacola does have a lot going for it, especially in its historic and compact waterfront downtown area. With numerous ancient live oaks and buildings often reminiscent of New Orleans’ French Quarter (Pensacola is equally old and went through waves of Spanish, French and English settlers), downtown Pensacola is a kind of walker’s diamond in the rough.
People who live in or near downtown have reason to love the location: the area is home not only to plenty of history but to art galleries, bars, several fine restaurants, a beautiful park, year-round outdoor festivals and the Pensacola Civic Center, which hosts a variety of concerts, expos and sporting events (including — up until this year — an ice hockey team, of all things). One major downside, though: there are no nearby large grocery stores of note.
Even here, though, the situation appears to be improving. This June, civic leaders launched a weekly farmer’s market on Palafox, the main north-south route through downtown. And for the slightly more hardy, there’s always Joe Patti’s, a fresh seafood shop a bit outside of downtown that’s an institution (it also features a wine shop, sushi bar and gourmet deli with a small produce section).
And if some forward-thinking citizens have their way, downtown Pensacola could one day be home to the Community Maritime Park. Still in the early stages and facing regular opposition from some NIMBY types, the project would develop 30 acres of waterfront land with shops, restaurants, offices, a maritime museum and a multiuse stadium/ballpark (Pensacola’s minor-league team, the Pelicans, now play at the University of West Florida, which is miles away from downtown and any beach community).
The development is still years — possibly even a decade — away from completion right now. Still, even now, historic downtown Pensacola is well worth at least a day of exploring by any pedestiran, local or otherwise.
Related Posts:
Walk This Way: Santa Monica, CA
This Google Map Was Made for Walking
Walkable Neighborhoods Mean Fitter Residents
‘Walk This Way’ Week: How Pedestrian-Friendly is Your Town?
